The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 106 Ch.105 Wrinkled Candle

When Roland and Shandel arrived at the courtroom, Fernandez was already waiting in the office.

He bought a bag of hot French fries, and a few cups of coffee and mushroom soup were kept warm on the fireplace. On the desk, besides the ink box that had not been used for a long time, there were two plates of fried fish and a piece of bread cut into several pieces.

For a boring midnight snack, Fernandez particularly likes French fries.

"Come on, the soup is still hot."

He shouted at the door, asking Chandel and Roland to come in.

The office walls were bare, and the backs of chairs and sofas were littered with clothes and debris.

"Compared to the lady's room, it's a little smaller and messier."

"Why don't you compare me with the Queen's office?" Fernandez said he didn't want him to comment on where he stays every day.

He shared the fish and chips among them and went to the fireplace to bring coffee and soup.

"Choose what you want to drink."

There's really nothing to choose from.

Fernandez wiped his mouth, pushed the fish that died with their eyes open to Roland, and cautiously took away the oil paper that wrapped them.

While the two men were chewing, he took out three candles from the drawer and placed them on the table.

"A very simple ritual: light this candle with the Secret, and the path to your destination will naturally appear before your eyes."

This is a strange thing.

As Fernandez spoke, lines of text appeared in Roland's sight.

……

"Name: Drowned Wrinkled Candle"

"Type: Strange Item (Spirit)"

"Something attached to the candle... (7/10)."

"Every time it is used, the holder will hear the cries of drowned babies."

"They will slowly swim towards their owner..."

"Until they find him."

"This artifact will spontaneously combust when deeply exposed to the mysteries. It will guide its holders to the same place."

"Note: Every ten minutes, the flame will follow a certain fixed pattern to decay. Those who fail to return to the waking world before it extinguishes will be left in darkness forever... But maybe that's a good thing: they have new friends."

"Note: No one can control where it is born, and similarly, you don't want to know how it is 'born'."

……

This was the first time Roland had seen a strange object from a "spirit", and Fernandez had never told him about this part.

But now is obviously not a good time to start class.

"The party usually ends within 20 to 40 minutes. We have tried to keep each candle burning for no more than an hour at a time. Also, once the ceremony begins, you should ignore any sounds other than moving forward... and anything that makes a sound."

He took a sip of coffee and seeing that the two men were not interested in the fish and chips, he pushed the mask to them.

"Pick one. Even though you won't need it, it's just in case."

The one in his hand had a bear's mouth and sharp teeth painted on it, and was very dark in color.

"Is the code name ready?"

Shandel nodded: "Caramel."

In fact, Caramel is the code name that Shandel gave to Roland - the full version is:
Caramel cat.

However, Roland politely refused.

He also rejected a bunch of weird code names like Amber, Angel, Black Gem, etc.

"I think they are all very appropriate code names."
-
Thank you.
-
But I don't want to hear someone say, 'Hello, Mr. Black Gem' or 'I want to make a promise with you, Mr. Caramel Cat.'

"How cute."
-
I don't have to be that cute.

"You really don't understand romance."

"If it were me, the code name would be 'Father' or 'Dear Grandfather'."
-
You're going to be kicked out, Wrench.

That being said, Roland thought...

'Hello, dear grandfather.'

Then he grinned too.

"Isn't it interesting?"
-
very much.

"Caramel, very good. How about yours, Roland?" Fernandez turned to the young man fiddling with the mask.

Roland thought for a moment and said, "…Awl, is that okay?"

Fernandez had an expression on his face that said, "Can you please stop joking at this time?"

"Give me a normal one...Roland."

"What's yours?"

Fernandez shook the mask: "Sharp-nosed bear."

Roland: ...
-
What's the difference with my awl?
"There is actually a big difference, although I don't think your brain can tell the difference."

Fernandez stood up holding a candle: "Forget it, let's call her Amber. You should listen to Kratov more. At least she is more talented than you...than you in this area." "Fernandez, I don't think Amber is..."

"Amber, Caramel, it's almost time, follow me."

"Fernandez..."

"It's just a code name, Roland. You can call me anything you want."

"Then why can't it be called Cone..."

"follow me."

Shandel also put on a mask, stood up with Fernandez, and patted him teasingly: "Come on, Mr. Amber."

Roland: ...

The fire in my sight was laughing crazily.

What happened to them.

The three men came to a wall in the office.

Fernandez turned his head and said to the two of them, "Remember, don't interrupt the "secret" before you reach that table...Also, don't say you know me. I don't think you two are fools. You should know what to do, right?"

"What table?"

"You'll know when you see it."

Fernandez turned back and looked at it for a moment: the wrinkled candle suddenly caught fire.

Roland discovered that the space around him was distorted for a moment:

Mystery permeated the room.

"See you soon."

Fernandez said.

The wall in front of him melted away.

The smoke was transformed into a soft, swaying path, leading into the deep, unknown darkness. With the rise and fall of his footsteps and the swaying of the candlelight, the road also swayed gently: like a snake winding continuously into the distance.

This is a road that travels between the waking and sleeping worlds - it belongs to neither, but is in the gap between the two.

"Collins."

After Fernandez completely disappeared at the end, Xiandel gently reminded him.

Roland held the candle and raised half his arm forward.

Mystery is like water flowing through your fingertips.

The candles were lit.

"See you later, Kratov."

He looked at the swaying path under his feet. When he stepped on it, it felt as soft as if he was stepping on cotton.

Gradually, the office behind me faded into the distance.

The dim glow of the gas lamp also faded away.

It was not until Kratov's voice disappeared that an uncomfortable feeling of suffocation emerged:

Water vapor.

Very rich water vapor.

Breathing became difficult and at the same time, the faint sound of a baby crying echoed in my ears.

In the endless darkness, only the fire in my hand remains bright.

'Come to me.'

The childish voice said temptingly.

Here and there on the wet path flashed some broken, swollen, white and wrinkled limbs: arms or calves, the soft skull and rotting face of a baby.

They swelled to be much larger than normal babies and crawled towards him with grins on their faces.

Roland turned a blind eye and walked forward, forward, stepping on the increasingly sticky water stains and broken limbs.

Keep going forward.

soon.

He saw another light.

Or a few other lights.

Candles were placed on a huge, dark brown round table.

In addition, by the faint light of the flame, he could vaguely make out the figures sitting in the chairs corresponding to each candle.

He seemed to know what to do.

Pick a location.

Then, place the candle on the table.

sit down.

(End of this chapter)